New resource: My Little Black Book for Sexual Health

December 2010 –  We are pleased to announce the launch of My Little Black Book for Sexual Health: A guide for getting the health insurance you need to prevent pregnancy until you’re ready. This youth-friendly, interactive online guide helps young adults navigate their health insurance options and answers questions about finding health plans that work for them and meet their contraceptive needs. 

My Little Black Book for Sexual Health was created by the Reproductive Empowerment and Decision Making for Young Adults (REaDY) Initiative, a statewide project to reduce unplanned pregnancy among young adults in the wake of Massachusetts health care reform. Ibis led the formative research for REaDY, including a systematic review of the young adult-targeted health plans and focus group discussions with young adults across Massachusetts. One of our key findings was that information about health insurance and contraception is often confusing and unclear. Young adults were also unaware of many of the provisions of Massachusetts’ health reform law, though they expressed overwhelming interest in getting more information about contraception and in having resources to help them navigate contraceptive coverage in the new health care environment.

We hope that My Little Black Book for Sexual Health can also serve as a model for advocates and policymakers in other US states as they prepare for national health reform to roll out over the next few years.

Stay tuned for the Spanish-language version of My Little Black Book for Sexual Health, which will be available in January 2011.